Texas Rangers Blog

Game Highlights: Rangers 3, Astros 2

HOUSTON – Can you feel that tingle in the air? It’s either the excitement over the possibility of the Rangers’ clinching the Silver Boot for the fifth straight year or pollen. Not sure, which.

The Rangers lead their series with Houston 3-1 with tonight and Thursday still to play. The Rangers also own an eight-run advantage in the all important run-differential tiebreaker.The second tiebreaker, just in case, is total home runs. The Rangers enter tonight with a 9-1 lead in that category.

OK, here we go:

First inning: Ian Kinsler leads off with a homer. It is his second homer in as many at-bats for him. He tripled in the at-bat before that. Also, Andres Blanco doubles and Adrian Beltre singles with one out over a drawn-in infield. … In the bottom of the first, RHP Colby Lewis, coming off seven shutout innings against Houston the last time out, throws eight pitches (all strikes) in a 1-2-3 inning. Rangers 2, Astros 0

Second inning: Bottom third of Rangers lineup goes in order. … A second 1-2-3 inning for Lewis in which he throws only six pitches, five of them for strikes, and gets three fly balls of differing depth to left field. Lewis through two: 14 pitches, 13 strikes.

Third inning: Another homer for Kinsler, who has three homers and a triple in his last four at-bats. … Lewis continues plundering the strike zone. He throws 11 pitches in retiring the side for a third straight inning, the last 10 of them for strikes. Through three, Lewis has 24 pitches, 22 for strikes. Rangers 3, Astros 0

Fourth inning: Mitch Moreland takes a two-out walk, but hot-hitting Yorvit Torrealba bounces into a fielder’s choice. … Lewis allows a two-out first pitch single to Hunter Pence, then gets Carlos Lee to line hard to left for the third out. His pitch count: 40 total pitches; 33 strikes.

Fifth inning: Lewis leads off with a ball that rolls all the way to the wall in center field, but he slows down and stops at second. The Rangers can’t get him home. Ian Kinsler flies out to deep center for the first out to end his streak of four consecutive at-bats with extra base hits. … Lewis posts his fourth 1-2-3 inning, his third inning of less than 10 pitches (he throws eight) and his second without a single ball.

Seventh inning: Brett Myers retires the side in order for the second straight inning. He has retired nine straight. … Lewis’ scoreless streak against Houston ends at 13 innings. His bid for a complete game ends when he allows back-to-back two-out hits. Only a great relay from Ian Kinsler to home on No. 8 hitter Carlos Corporan’s double prevents the game from being tied. Lewis is done at 74 pitches (61 strikes). Darren Oliver comes in to get pinch hitter Jason Michaels. Rangers 3, Astros 2

Eighth inning: Rangers go in order for fourth straight inning, this time against reliever Wilton Lopez. Since end of third, Rangers have twice reached base: A walk to Mitch Moreland and a double by Colby Lewis. … Darren Oliver allows a bloop single to Michael Bourn to start the inning, but deeks him into running when Oliver throws to first and the Rangers get Bourn at second. With two outs, Mark Lowe comes on and strikes Hunter Pence out on three pitches.

Ninth inning: And yet another 1-2-3 inning for the Rangers. That is 15 consecutive batters retired by Houston pitchers. … Neftali Feliz works around a leadoff walk to Carlos Lee by striking out the next two hitters. Lee is caught stealing on the second of those two strikeouts. Rangers win the Silver Boot. Party Hard, folks! Rangers 3, Astros 2